


Wasteland, Baby

by metaluna



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lesbian AU, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, apocalypse au, by drug use i mean weed, like extremely slow burn holy shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25372690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metaluna/pseuds/metaluna
Summary: Gigi was at the top of her game. She had no reason to believe that the world was going to end. Crystal spent her entire life preparing for it. After the end of all things, the two meet in a chance encounter. How will two completely different people from completely different backgrounds adapt to survive together? The post apocalyptic AU that literally no one asked for.
Relationships: Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, Nicky Doll/Jaida Essence Hall, Possible eventual Jan/Jackie? I haven't decided yet
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	1. Prologue

Gigi Goode didn’t have any reason to believe the world would end by the end of the week. Why would she? She was a clothing designer at the top of her game. Her first clothing line launched the year prior, when she was only twenty one years old. She lived in a penthouse in L.A. by herself, and was able to afford it with no problem. Money was no issue. Whatever she wanted she could have. 

It was like any other evening. She was sprawled out on her couch with her tablet, a glass of wine on her end table, at the ready. Her TV was on a news station, not that she was paying attention. The background noise helped her stay focused. Pushing back her blonde curls, the designer needed to keep her focus. With a deadline fast approaching, Gigi barely had anything more than a concept. The entire line was inspired by 80’s vaporwave, but beyond that, she was completely stuck.

Just then a flashing screen and loud beeping caught her attention. A female reporter in a fitted red blazer had a stoic expression.

“This is Michelle Visage with Headline Nightly News. It is with an extremely heavy heart I am reporting tonight. From the beginning of the year, I have been following the war between the United States and North Korea. Agreements on weapons regulations have not been able to be reached. As a result, the president has threatened to launch a nuclear missile over the country. In return, the supreme leader of North Korea has threatened a nuke so big that it could take out the entire United States. Scientists and weapons experts have indeed confirmed that combined, the two nukes have enough power to take out the majority of the world's population. 

“Because the president continued to gain more and more power, the system of checks and balances has become nearly useless. Congress has not been able to stop this. A spokesperson has told us that they have tried to reason with the president for roughly a month, however he will not stand down. He claims that he is doing what is best for us as a country, and as a nation. 

“According to the president, he said that he plans to launch it at the end of the week at 12 PM, Eastern Standard Time. At this time, we do not know when North Korea plants to launch theirs, if they even do so at all. 

“I am told that bunkers are going to be constructed, the information should be in a banner below. I am signing off reminding you to hug your friends and families.”

Rolling her eyes, Gigi recalled the past few months hearing about the war, but tuned it out. She had her own life to deal with. After seeing the true concern on the reporter’s face, she felt unease in the pit of her stomach. She decided that it was something that she could address later. With that thought, she downed her glass of rosé.  
\--

Crystal Methyd had plenty of reason to believe that the world was ending. From a very young age, she was taught about the end of all things and the doomsday clock. After her parents passed, she was sent to live with her extremely eccentric aunt in rural Missouri. Her aunt first brought up the doomsday clock when she was fourteen years old. At first, she thought her aunt was insane. After a while, however, she herself also became obsessed with the end of the world. One day, after her aunt had passed, she realized, she had become her aunt. She wasn't sure when, but she knew she had. 

Her aunt’s house had stayed the same, five years after her death. It was only a single bedroom, she grew up with no bedroom, and instead slept tattered orange and yellow pullout couch in the living room. The entire house matched Crystal’s personality. Chaotic. None of the furniture matched, most of it from the 1970’s. In fact, the entire house looked like it was transplanted from the 70’s. Keeping in theme with the 1970’s, the entire basement of the home was a fallout shelter, equipped with a year’s worth of supplies in case the doomsday clock were to reach zero minutes to midnight. 

She knew the amount of research and energy put into the Doomsday clock and the end of the world looked ridiculous to the outside world. But she was obsessed. After smoking, she would write pages of theories and plans longer than a PhD dissertation. Crystal knew that she was a stereotype. She was a crazy stoner. It did not help that she supplemented her income through freelance art and teaching. Not only was she a crazy stoner, she was a crazy artsy stoner obsessed with the end of the world.

While cleaning up after an art lesson in her kitchen, the small television in the living room that she kept on as background noise while she scrubbed paint off her table made a very loud beeping noise. After plopping on the couch, Crystal inventively listened to the reporter talk about the nuclear missiles. There was information on bunkers and how to take cover, but she knew she'd be safest in the bunker that had been prepared for years, rather than one that was made in an act of desperation.

Crystal decided she’d prepped her entire life for this, and that she could worry about it more tomorrow. She grabbed the bong next to the TV and took a big hit.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gigi, Nicky, and Jaida make plans on how to handle the impending nuclear war. Along the way, they meet a new bubbly blonde. Crystal doubts herself, and takes comfort with her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends! I'm having a fun time writing this, even if I'm not a great writer. This has gotten more hits than I thought it would, to be honest, so I'm glad that someone that's not me is enjoying it too.

After shutting off the TV and downing her glass of wine, Gigi turned off her tablet. Even though she totally didn’t believe it, because there’s no way the world was ending, she went to the fridge and grabbed an entire bottle. After taking off the cork, she went to pour it into a glass before electing to drink straight from the bottle.

When she returned to the couch, she turned the TV onto the Real Housewives of Some City. Gigi was too numb to pay attention or care which city. She wasn’t sure why, because none of it was real. None of the catty fights were holding her attention. She was just staring at the TV mindlessly chugging wine. 

Right as she finished the bottle, she heard a knock on the door. Gigi managed to stumble her way to the door. 

“Oh my god, what are you guys doing here?” Gigi slurred. 

Standing at the door were her two best friends, Jaida and Nicky. 

Nicky raised an eyebrow. “Having fun tonight?”

“Shut up.”

Jaida and Nicky both took one of Gigi’s arms and led her to the couch.

“Did you guys hear the world is ending?” she laughed. “Alexa, play It’s the End of the World as we Know it!”

“Chile, what are you doing?” Jaida questioned, genuinely concerned. She knew her friend enjoyed a glass of wine, but rarely did she get drunk. Gigi was too much of a control freak to ever willingly lose control.

The night that Jaida befriended Gigi was the only night she’d ever seen her drunk. It was at an after party for GG Designs’ first fashion show. Jaida was one of the models who walked in the show. That night, Jaida went into the bathroom to fix an eyelash when she saw a skinny blonde girl fumbling around looking like she was about to be sick. Jaida realized that the skinny blonde girl was the one who gave her a job. 

Right as she put her hand on the door to leave Gigi lost her liquor narrowly avoiding Jaida’s Louboutins. She was genuinely concerned at how such a small person could hold so much vomit. Jaida spent the rest of that night holding back Gigi’s hair while she continued to throw up. 

Ever since, they were best friends. The bond of a sober girl and a drunk girl in the bathroom knows no bounds. 

“The world is ending! Who cares?”

“Gigi,” Nicky began. Her tone harsh. “We don’t know that. We don’t know what any of this is.”

Gigi dramatically took the remote from the couch and flipped until she found a news station. 

“—fallout shelters are going to be available. The starting rate will be 10,000 dollars per person. They are available to reserve online.”

“Fallout shelters? Goddamn.” Nicky adjusted herself in her chair. “This has got to be pretty serious.”

“Who knows? It’s not like I pay attention to the news!”

“Gigi shut up,” Jaida lightly swatted her friend’s warms. “Is this something that we should look into?”

Jaida and Nicky discussed the pros and cons. Gigi chimed in occasionally, not adding anything of any value, other than that she was willing to pay for all of it. The three decided that their best option was to stay safe in a shelter just in case. There was one not far from them in LA. Check in was the next day.

\---  
Jaida and Nicky made it back to their studio apartment. They tucked a very wine drunk Gigi in on the couch. They knew their friend well enough that once she was sober, she would be in a better headspace. Before they left, they packed a bag for her. 

Now, they had to the same for themselves. 

Nicky sighed. “How are we supposed to pack up our whole lives? How do we even know this is going to happen?”

Jaida kissed her girlfriend’s forehead. “I know, baby. I hope it’s nothing. I really do. But just in case we need to be ready.”

Nicky looked at Jaida while she was packing. She loved her girlfriend so much. The models had Gigi to thank for their relationship. Gigi met Nicky a few months after she’d met Jaida. They met at a fitting Nicky had for an upcoming shoot for GG Designs. 

After they talked, Gigi realized that she and Jaida would be a good match. After a month of protesting from both sides, they finally agreed to meet. The chemistry was instantaneous, and they started dating a couple of weeks later. 

Once they finished packing, they sat on the couch together. Jaida rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. They sat and said nothing. Both of them were trying to take in their surroundings. Neither of them wanted to forget what a single inch of that tiny apartment looked like.

A month into dating, Nicky’s lease ended, and Jaida couldn’t stand living with her roommates for another minute. The two of them became a stereotype and moved in together. There were so many memories in that apartment. The first meal they cooked together. The first time Jaida said she loved Nicky. The time they almost set their kitchen on fire. The walls were lined with memories that were about to be left behind. 

Nicky and Jaida sat together for as long as they could. 

Nicky nudged Jaida. “Babe, we have to go eventually.”

Jaida felt a tear run down her face. “Okay.”

“I know that this is home. I thought France was home. Home is when we are together.” She wiped Jaida’s tear. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

With one last look, the couple left their apartment for the last time.

Gigi didn’t know what to expect with the fallout shelter. It was beyond anything she would have imagined. The whole area was surrounded by a large barb wired fence. There were armed guards at each of the doors. The exterior looked like an army barracks. She could only imagine what the inside looked like.

They walked up to a scary looking man who was checking people in at the gates.

“Name?”  
“It should be three for Georgiana Goode?”

“Go ahead. Here’s a map. I marked your room. It’s a four person bedroom. You will have a random roommate who is also female. There’s an itinerary as well. Do not miss orientation tonight.”

The shelter was bigger than Gigi thought it would be. There were four different buildings, and each building had 25 rooms. Each building had a community bathroom, a common area, a gym, and a dining hall. Their room was next to the dining hall. The bedroom was very cramped. Gigi’s dorm in college felt like it had more space. There were two bunk beds. The furniture looked like what would be at a cheap roadside motel, a stark contrast to Gigi’s chic home. She tried her hardest to hide her disgust for the place.

“I knew it was not going to be much but wow,” Nicky said, testing the cheap mattress.

“I mean…” Jaida trailed off looking at the furniture.

Both Nicky and Jaida came from a comfortable life. Their life was not as extravagant as Gigi’s, they lived in a one bedroom studio apartment, but they were used to a nicely furnished and decorated space. None of them were used to a cramped space primarily decorated with beige and army green. 

Gigi sighed, sitting on a bed. “I can’t do this. This is a nightmare.”

“G. Calm down. It’s not great but we’re going to have to deal. Jaida and I aren’t happy either, but we’ll get through it together.”

Before Gigi could reply, the door opened. A bubbly looking blonde came through the door struggling to lug two large purple suitcases. 

“Oh my god hi! I’m Jan. I really have no idea what’s going on. Oh my gosh, you guys are so pretty how are you?  
”  
Gigi blinked and didn’t say anything. 

“Excuse Miss Gigi here, she doesn’t know how to act.” Jaida gave Gigi side eye. “I’m Jaida. Nice to meet you.”

“My name’s Nicky.”

“Oh wow, are you from France? That’s so cool! I went to France when I was sixteen and it was really cool. What brought you to LA?”

“I moved over here to model.”

“A model? That’s awesome! Are you all models?”

“Nicky and I are,” Jaida explained. “Miss Gigi over here is a designer.”

“Wait. Wait a minute. Are you Gigi Goode? Like GG Designs?” Jan’s expression is stunned.

“Uh, yeah, I am.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m such a huge fan. I wore one of your dresses to the opening of a show I was in back when I was in New York a few months ago. The purple A-line? It was gorgeous. Wow this is an honor!”

“Thank you so much.” Gigi’s mood instantly improved. She loved all forms of attention, especially when she was being praised about something that she worked so hard on. People thought that Gigi was conceited, when in all actuality she was proud of her work. She’d worked so hard that she felt as though she deserved to be the way that she was. 

“So Jan,” Jaida began. “What’s your story?”  
“Okay. Well. I’m an actress and singer. I actually got my break being an understudy for Jenna in Waitress on Broadway. After that, I opened a Go-Go’s jukebox musical. It didn’t last long. We barely made it out of previews. That wasn’t great. Then, I moved out to LA for the out of town tryout of a revival of Anything Goes. I’m actually playing Reno. It’s so much fun! Well, uh, it was fun… before the president decided he’s going to end the world.” Jan laughed nervously. 

The four girls continued becoming acquainted. Gigi, Jaida, and Nicky all liked Jan, even if she was a little enthusiastic. Jan liked just about anyone who would talk to her, so a fast friendship was forming. They talked for so long, they lost track of time and almost forgot to go to the orientation. 

The dining hall looked like what prisons looked like in movies. There were steel tables that looked cold. The linoleum was impeccably clean. The entire shelter was, even the tiny living spaces. The space was already packed. All the tables were full, so the girls elected to stand against the wall in the back.

An extremely intimidating woman who started speaking. Gigi realized that it was the woman who made the report on the news.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Michelle Visage. You all have been selected, or have paid, to survive the looming threat of nuclear war. This shelter has enough supplies for a year. You must now all say goodbye to your lives. After this meeting, the shelter is going to be sealed. No entering or leaving. If that is not something you can commit to for a full year, please let one of the guards in the back of the room know. By now you should have gotten your rooms and roommate assignments. If you have conflicts with your roommates, settle it like adults. We aren’t here to solve your roommate qualms. Meals are at 7, 12, and 6 and last one hour. Don’t be late. There is a common room that will have the news as up to date as possible. Other than that, you are free to roam about the shelter. I know that it’s not going to be easy. It doesn’t feel like home, and it won’t. But it’s the best we have. Welcome.”

On the way back to their room, Michelle’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Now beginning lockdown procedures.”  
There was a loud buzzing that filled the air. It was loud enough that Jan covered her ears. Gigi’s ears began to ring. There were loud slams as the lead walls came over the shelter. Even though the shelter looked the same as it did on the inside, Gigi felt a wave of claustrophobia envelop her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. 

“Well,” she began. “I guess if the world’s ending I’m glad I’m with all of you.”  
\---  
Crystal was angry at herself. She had no reason to be so stressed. This was something she was waiting the majority of her life for. Almost any situation that could happen, she was ready for. But yet, a part of her had always hoped that she had been preparing for something that would never happened. She didn’t want the world to end. 

Her mind wandered, thinking of what could have been. There were so many scenarios that played in her mind. What if she would have went to the art school that offered her scholarships? What if she decided to move to Chicago with Jackie? What if she didn’t let her aunt have control over her life? None of it mattered. It was all going to end, and she hadn’t even lived her life. She knew nothing beyond her town.

The pit of her stomach felt like it had dropped to her feet. It is a feeling that she had felt many times throughout her life. She felt it right after the accident that killed her parents. She felt it when she had to tell the psychologist about the accident. The time that she felt it the most were the nights that her aunt drank too much and lashed out. The very first time she took solace in the basement is when she first moved. 

The basement was her sanctuary. It is where she felt the safest, which is a feeling she longed for, ever since the accident. Ever since the day her parents died, she didn’t feel safe. But, when she spent time alone in the basement, she felt safe, if only for a moment. When she was younger, she and Jackie played in the basement. It is also where she worked on her art projects. When she was fifteen, she asked her aunt if she could paint the walls of the basement. For once, her aunt was agreeable, and let her. 

As she stood in the basement, she admired her paintings. Painting the walls is what made her fall in love with painting. When she was first sent to live with her aunt, Crystal was mandated to see a child psychologist. The psychologist recommended that she draw how she felt. Ever since, she turned to painting as an emotional outlet. It was the one thing that she felt that she was good at. 

In the corner of the basement, there was a makeshift bed Crystal made out of pillows. There were many times where Crystal fell asleep in the basement. Even though she now slept in the bed, she couldn’t bring herself to disassemble the pillows. 

At some point, she’d fallen asleep. Around 2 A.M., she woke up from an incoming FaceTime. It was her best friend, her only friend, really, Jackie. Jackie had been around since Crystal first moved to Missouri. They became friends because they were both outcasts. Jackie’s mom was extremely strict, and didn’t let Jackie do a lot of the things that everyone else got to do. Because Jackie had no friends, she introduced herself to the new girl back in the seventh grade. They became friends and never looked back.

“Hi, babe,” Crystal said groggily.

Jackie’s eyes were red and puffy. “This is fucked.”

“Do you think this is actually going to happen?”

Because she studied political science with a concentration in foreign affairs, if anyone were to understand, it would be Jackie. Jackie wasn’t much of a crier, so the fact that Jackie looked so stressed, Crystal already knew the answer. 

“Yeah. Yeah I do. I feel like this was going to happen eventually. I just happened after we were dead. The relations between us and North Korea have just went downhill ever since the president was elected. Unfortunately, because the way the president has completely managed to the checks and balances that we learned about in grade school, as much as the senate and house have tried, they can’t do much.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

After a silence, Crystal said, “So what are your plans about… all of this?” 

“Honestly? I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to my mother in six years, and my dad died two years ago. I don’t really have anyone to be honest.”

“Do you want to come here? I think that I can do this. My aunt has been prepping me for this for the past ten years. But, like, what if it’s not enough? What if I’ve been waiting for this to happen all for nothing? I’m so afraid that I’m not ready for this.”

“Hey. Hey. Listen. If anyone can survive this, it’s you. I know that you don’t really like to talk about what she’s all taught you, but I know it’s a lot. And yes, I’d love to come over. It’s like a three hour drive, so it shouldn’t take too long. I think that traffic is going to probably be pretty bad because everyone is panicking. If I leave in about an hour I should be able to make the drive in probably four with traffic.”

“I don’t want the world to end. I always thought I turned into her, but I don’t think I did. She was sitting and waiting every day for this. I always hoped that it wasn’t going to happen. I wasted my whole life on this. I haven’t even left this damn town. There’s so much stuff in life that I’ve never gotten to do. Shit, Jackie, I’ve never even been kissed.”

“Crystal. Stop. You’re spiraling. You aren’t her. Even if you are know so much about all of this and could single handedly survive this, you never lost yourself. You’re still such a kind soul. You’re funny and put others before yourself constantly. You didn’t leave town just to take care of your aunt, and she was terrible to you.”

“Thanks, it’s the anxiety.”

“I mean it. Seriously. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever known.” 

“Thanks, Jack.”

“Anyway, I better pack. I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Crystal was so thankful for Jackie. She was the only one who could talk her out of spiraling. Somehow, Jackie always knew what to say. Even though she was an only child, she always thought that her friendship with Jackie is what it would be like to have a sister. 

After managing to fall back asleep, Crystal was jolted awake by a knock at the door. She had barely managed to open the door before Jackie nearly tackled her to the ground with a hug. They hadn’t seen each other in about a year. 

“It’s so good to see you.” Jackie’s voice was muffled, as her face was pressed into Crystal’s shoulder.  
“You too.”

“So.”

“So?”

“So what all do we need to do to… get ready?”

“Honestly?” Crystal started to absentmindedly play with her hair. “I have everything done. I check all the supplies about every month, and I just did it a couple weeks ago. The artillery is loaded, there’s enough food and supplies for a year. I also have a lot of honey. Honey is good because it’s something that is hard to come by, and can be bartered for. It also doesn’t really ever go bad. Oh. Do you know how to shoot?”

Jackie had no idea how she was so calm about all of this. Crystal was talking about the end of the world and playing with her hair, talking about guns? She knew that her friend was well versed in this, but she had no idea how nonchalant she was about it. It was like a switch was flipped. The normally anxious girl had never looked so self-assured. 

“Uh, no. I’ve never shot a gun.” 

“Would you be willing to learn?”

Guns made Jackie nervous. Going to her town’s Memorial Day celebration made her nervous because the gunshots made her scream. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay. Cool. So I think all we have to do is teach you how to shoot. Don’t really it’s really easy. I’ve been doing it for like ten years. Also would you be willing to learn how to use a Kearny meter?” Crystal saw how confused Jackie looked. “Oh, it’s just a radiation meter. It’s made out of a coffee can. Super easy, I promise.”

“I barely have any idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad I’m spending the end of the world with a doomsday prepper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters are going to be a lot of plot so they may be kind of boring, I'm sorry!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the end drawing near, tensions are high, emotions are aplenty. As everyone need someone to lean on, secrets come out. a TW for descriptions of child abuse, not super graphic but still there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Sorry for the delay on this, I have not forgotten! It's just that this is a story that I've got lots of ideas for and am having a hard time editing myself! This chapter isn't the most interesting, at least I don't think so, but it's laying down the groundwork. Things will be more interesting in the next chapter. Thank you to Bell for beta reading for me xoxo

While preparing for the end of the world, Jackie learned a lot of skills she never thought she would. There was never a time in her life where she thought she would learn how to make a radiation monitor out of a coffee can. She had to admit, learning about nuclear half-lives was much more interesting than she thought.

The one thing Jackie was nervous about was learning how to shoot a gun. She was nervous, her hands shook as Crystal handed her what she thought was a rifle. Crystal informed her it was a 12 gauge shotgun. Thankfully, because the house was in the middle of the woods, they didn’t have to worry about stray bullets or the noise.

“Jackie, you need to calm down.”

“I’m trying!”

“You’re shaking! It’s not that bad, I learned to do this when I was like fourteen. You can do it.”

Crystal set up a mock shooting range in her backyard. She had rigged metal garbage can lids with spray painted targets haphazardly sprayed on into the trees. There was an old table with beer bottles spaced evenly apart on top. Jackie was impressed at the amount of time that Crystal put it all together.

“I’m a pacifist, Crystal.”

“You think I wanted to learn how to do all of this?”

Jackie fell silent. On the few occasions that Crystal did talk about all that she’d learned, she always looked unhappy. Jackie knew her best friend wasn’t happy with the direction her life took, and no matter how hard she tried to hide it, it showed.

Jackie took a deep breath in.

“Oh, no. You’re holding it all wrong. But that’s okay! Let me help you fix it!”

It was very clear that Crystal spent all day teaching children how to paint, and was probably damn good at it, if her ability to teach someone to fire a gun was at all similar to teaching a twelve year old how to paint a sunset. She explained to Jackie how to load the shotgun with the same tone that she probably used with her students.

“So first of all, even if it isn’t, always treat a gun like it’s loaded. It’s good practice, and sometimes you never know, you know?” She got behind Jackie to help her move her body into the correct position. “Move your left hand so it’s over the middle. Okay, great. Next go into firing position. Stand shoulder width apart. Good, good. Alright, so align your eye with the stock.”

“What the hell is the stock?”

“That’s the part… yeah, yeah, yeah. That part. Perfect. So okay yeah, align… Great. Put the butt closer to your shoulder.”

Jackie turned her head to look at Crystal.

“The butt. Of the gun. Okay good. Now. Flip the safety off. You’re gonna squeeze the trigger. Do it firmly like you’re shaking someone’s hand kinda. It’s going to hurt, I’m just warning you now. That’s the kickback. ”

Jackie shut her eyes and shot, and missed the target completely. The gunshot made her ears ring. Even though Crystal had warned her about recoil, she wasn’t prepared for feeling as though she was about to fall backwards. Thankfully, Crystal was behind her, holding her upright.

“Jackie, did you really just shut your eyes?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Here. Watch me do it.”

Jackie had never seen Crystal look so sure of anything in her entire life. She confidently took the gun and stood just the way she had shown. Without hesitation, she fired the gun and hit one of the beer bottles.

“Holy, shit Crystal! You did that!”

“And you can too.”

Even though she looked confident, Crystal had never been a confident markswoman. Whenever her and her aunt would go out back and practice, her aunt was always told how bad of a shot she was. As much as she hated to admit it, shooting a gun again felt nice.

“But did you see how I actually kept my eyes open?” Her tone was sarcastic.

“Shut up.” Jackie took the gun back.

“Also, to make sure the kickback isn’t as bad, make sure that you hold the gun tightly. You’ll still feel it but it won’t be as bad, and hopefully you won’t feel like you’re going to fall. I’ll still stand behind you just in case.”

Jackie exhaled as she took the shooting stance. She closed her left eye and looked ahead. She aimed, and squeezed the trigger. With a loud clang, the bullet hit the trash can lid. It wasn’t centered, but it was close.

“You did it!”

“I did it!”

“Now you can do it on your own. Try one of the bottles now.” Crystal stood to the side to watch Jackie’s technique.

After taking a deep breath, Jackie pulled the trigger, and barely grazed the neck of the bottle. Crystal encouraged her to try again. After another deep breath, she hit one of the beer bottles dead in the center, causing it to shatter.

Jackie was so excited seeing the bottle explode she started jumping up and down, forgetting she had a fully loaded weapon.

Crystal ducked. “Okay, so you really don’t want to do that with a loaded gun.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, turning on the safety.

“You did it!”

“I did it!”

Jackie shot three more bottles, and managed to hit the garbage lid dead in the center. Her confidence raised considerably. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive the end of the world.

\--

The environment of the shelter was unlike anything Gigi had ever experienced. Everything was ran militaristically, even though she was pretty sure that the military wasn’t involved. The amount of structure was almost jarring. One night, Gigi and her friends accidentally loitered a little too long after dinner and were promptly yelled at by a man who probably dropped out of the police academy.

Gigi was incredibly thankful for her friends. They spent almost every moment together. However, they agreed to give each other space for a few hours every day. If the president made good on his promise, they would be spending an entire year together. During this time, everyone used the lackluster Wi-Fi to talk to their families.

Everyone except for Gigi.

As it turned out, the shelter had side rooms that Gigi wasn’t aware of. They were small and soundproof, and meant specifically to have private conversations. Everyone else spent time in the rooms every day. When her friends spoke to their loved ones, Gigi went into the common room and watched the news.

“That man is not right in the head,” a woman with a strong Russian accent sitting on the couch adjacent to Gigi announced.

“No, he’s not.”

“People like him are why I left my country.”

Gigi didn’t respond, and instead focused her attention on the television. Politics were never something that Gigi followed. She voted every November, but the extent of her knowledge of current events was via Twitter. Anytime she learned something bad happening in the world, she felt panicked. Usually, she could shake the feeling, but with the amount of stress she was under, this time she couldn’t. She felt her chest tighten and could hear her heartbeat.

“Are you okay?” the woman asked.

Gigi shook her head and left. By the time that she made it back to her room, Gigi was mid panic attack. She hoped that by the time she got there, there wouldn’t be anyone in the room. Unfortunately for her, Jan was sitting on her bed singing to herself.

“Gigi? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Can’t breathe.”

Jan wrapped Gigi into her arms. “Focus on your breathing. In and out.”

As Gigi tried to focus on her breathing as Jan stroked her hair.

“Thank you,” Gigi managed as she came down from her panic attack.

“Anytime. It’s a tough time and if I can ever help you, please come find me. I know what it’s like to have anxiety, and I don’t want you to go through this alone. Did anything trigger you?”

“The news.”

Gigi was genuinely surprised with how kind Jan was. She had known Gigi for just a few short days, and Jan treated her as if she’d known her for years. Her warmth was something that Gigi envied.

“Did you talk to your family today?”

“I got to talk to my mom a little bit today. It was…rough.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Gigi offered.

“It just really sucks that I can’t be with her right now.” Jan’s voice broke. “She couldn’t afford to stay at a shelter. I offered up my spot, but she wouldn’t let me. She doesn’t have enough to even reinforce her apartment. It’s literally just her and her cat. I can’t be with them. They’re my only family.”

“Shh, Jan. It’s okay.” Gigi tried to mimic the way Jan stroked her hair. Comforting people was something Gigi never excelled in. She never knew what to do when people cried. Usually she felt so uncomfortable she started involuntarily laughing. Thankfully, she held it together.

“Thanks Gigi. What about you? Have you talked to your family?”

Gigi was hoping she could avoid this question. “Uh… Not exactly?”

Before Jan could question any further, Nicky and Jaida entered the room.

“Time for dinner, bitches,” Jaida announced.

As she stood up, Gigi could feel Jan’s eyes on her. Gigi knew no matter how hard she tried to dodge questions about her family, it would come up eventually, especially if Gigi was to be spending the entire year with the same group of girls. The thought continued as Gigi tried to force down the driest spaghetti and meatballs she ever had the displeasure of eating.

Jan stared at the large countdown clock on the wall. “Twelve hours, ladies.”

Twelve hours. In just twelve hours, life as they knew it was going to cease to exist. Gigi felt as though her stomach dropped to her feet. Jan wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone’s conversations in the dining hall all came to a halt, as they all looked at the ominous red numbers. As everyone sat in silence, Gigi had never felt so connected to a room of strangers before. A few moments later, the Russian woman Gigi sat next to started talking. All of the inhabitants in the shelter took this as a cue that they could start talking, too.

The women engaged in lighthearted banter. Somehow they went from talking about favorite ice cream flavors, to zodiacs, to first pets. Eventually, the bell announcing the end of dinner rang.

“Not how I imagined the last supper going” Nicky joked.

Gigi didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “It’s finally feeling real.”

Silently, the women made their way back to their room, and Jan promptly sat on the floor. One by one, the others joined her. Gigi was the last, sitting tentatively, trying to not think about how dirty the floor probably was. She reasoned with herself telling herself it had to be clean, since it was a newly built building.

“Circle time,” Jan announced with fake enthusiasm.

“I still can’t decide if I believe this is all a pissing contest between the president and Korea, or if I’m just trying to convince myself,” Jaida mused.

Nicky kissed her girl’s hand. “I hope it’s the pissing contest."

Jan rubbed her hands together like a comic book villain. “Does anyone have any deep dirty secrets they want to convince?”

“Your first,” Gigi challenged.

“Okay. Sure. Well, when I got my first role, I didn’t get it based on talent alone. I fucked the casting director. No one knows that. Not even my best friend, Brita.”

“Damn, girl,” Jaida exclaimed. “I’m impressed.”

Jan flushed. “What about you?”

Jaida pursed her lips. “Nicky knows this. But, when I first moved to LA from Wisconsin, I was broke. Like, broke broke. Rent was due the next day, and I didn’t know what else to do. I walked past a stripclub and saw that there was an amateur night. That night I became Jaida Essence. I made enough to pay rent plus some.”

“Wow. I’m not surprised you made so much. You’re hot as fuck.”

“Thanks, G. It wasn’t just that one time. I did it enough that they eventually hired me. I quit about a month before I held your hair back at that party.”

“I’m in love with a strippa,” Nicky sang.

“Shut up!” Jaida playfully smacked her partner. “What do you have to say for yourself ma’am?”

“Mine sadly isn’t as shocking,” Nicky began. “When I was in university in France, I fucked my professor. It wasn’t for a grade or anything. She was just hot.”

The group laughed before Gigi asked, “What subject?”

“Ethics.”

“Oh, the irony,” Jaida said, rolling her eyes. “Gigi?”

Gigi thought about giving a disingenuous answer, but thought about how she couldn’t keep her secret forever. She sighed. “So, you know how I haven’t talked to any family since we’ve been here? Well, that’s because I don’t really… have a family.”

No one said anything, so Gigi continued. “My mom had me when she was seventeen years old. She was a senior in high school, and her boyfriend… my dad left her. I still don’t know who he is or where he is. Anyway. She made a lot of… poor decisions. I was taken from her when I was nine. I bounced from foster home to foster home until I eventually aged out of the system.”

“Wow,” Jaida said as she took Gigi’s hand.

No one wanted to ask, but they all had the same question, which Gigi knew.

“The reason I never told anyone is because I was, I don’t know, ashamed of it? I know I shouldn’t be because it made me who I am. All throughout school, I was surrounded by these rich kids from nuclear families,” Gigi cringed at her unfortunate word choice. “As I moved up in the fashion world, it was just all these privileged people that lived so opulently. Growing up, all the belongings I had growing up had to fit into a trash bag.”

Jan wrapped Gigi in a tight hug, and Nicky and Jaida followed suit. Gigi wasn’t sure how long they sat wordlessly holding each other. She shut her eyes and tried to take in the moment. She knew that in just a few hours, things weren’t going to be the same. She wasn’t going to be able to launch her new collection. She wasn’t going to have a design on the cover of Vogue. None of it mattered. In that moment, all she could focus on was the group of girls who were the family she never had.

\--

Crystal and Jackie sat across from each other in the basement. Between the two of them was a bong. Jackie couldn’t calm down, and Crystal had a solution. Jackie had never smoked before. While Crystal knew starting someone on a bong wasn’t the best idea, it was all she had.

In the past few days, Crystal had taught Jackie a lot. It felt suiting that the last thing Crystal taught her was how to get high in an attempt to be calm. Just like with anything else, Crystal was an incredible teacher. Jackie successfully hit the bong, managing not to cough. Before too long, Jackie felt the weed hit her system.

“My arms feel heavy.”

“That would be the weed.”

“I wanna lay down,” Jackie said before dramatically falling backward onto a pillow. Crystal decided that the ground looked lovely and also laid down.

“One hour,” Crystal whispered as she looked at her watch.

“Things aren’t going to be the same, are they?” Jackie’s tone reminded Crystal of a child asking if there was a monster in their closet.

Jackie already knew her answer, but Crystal responded, “No.”

Suddenly, Jackie’s knowledge of foreign affairs bubbled to the surface. “Even if the president and the dictator don’t make good on their promises, our foreign affairs are fucked. It’s either the world ends, or more than likely all of our allies are going to pull out because he’s so unstable. If he threatened to nuke a whole country, no one is going to want to be our ally. If for whatever reason we had a world war, which honestly a huge possibility, we are fucked.”

Crystal blinked. She knew her best friend was smart, but anytime Jackie talked about politics, Crystal couldn’t help be impressed. “I’m too high to process what you just said, but I’m going to assume that whatever you said is really, really bad.”

“Correct.”

Crystal closed her eyes. She didn’t know how much time passed, it could have been seconds or minutes. “Hey Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Thank you for being there for me. You are the only friend I’ve ever had. You were there for me when my aunt was in one of her moods. You didn’t stare when I came into school with a black eye the next day. You are the only person who got to know me, and didn’t see me as the second coming of my aunt like everyone else did. I love you.”

Jackie sat up. “I love you too, Crystal. I was the new kid that had no friends. I ate in the bathroom until I met you. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without you in my life, and I am thankful to call you my best friend.”

Tears began to form in Crystal’s eyes. She rested her head on Jackie’s shoulder. In a tone barely louder than a whisper she said, “I’m scared.”

“I am, too.”

_Five minutes._

Jackie looked at her watch. “Fuck.”

Wordlessly, Crystal grabbed Jackie’s hands and held on for dear life.

_Four minutes._

Jackie and Crystal were both crying. In the moment, both women felt so horrified they couldn’t speak.

_Three minutes._

“Jackie…” Crystal trailed off unable to speak anymore.

_Two minutes._

Jackie hugged Crystal tighter than she’d ever hugged anyone.

_One minute._

“It’ll be okay,” Jackie said, trying to ease her own mind more than Crystal’s.

_**Zero.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would anyone be interested me in me writing a oneshot of stripper!Jaida because as I wrote her out that part of the chapter I got a whole ass plotline in my head 
> 
> follow me on tumblr @themetaluna


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